Workforce
OPM finalizes expanded hazard pay for federal firefighters
Under regulations set to take effect next month, federal wildland firefighters will be eligible for 25% hazard pay in connection with work on prescribed burns.
Tech
Intel ops are underway at Space Command’s nascent Alabama HQ
Alabama landed SPACECOM after a years-long political fight. Now it’s getting off the ground.
Pay & Benefits
Lawsuit seeks to enforce 2025 SCOTUS decision improving pay for feds called to active duty
In the 15 months since the Supreme Court ruled that federal workers who also serve as military reservists do not need to prove that an active duty deployment is “substantially connected” to a national emergency, OPM has yet to issue new guidance reflecting the new precedent.
Pay & Benefits
Before you take money out of your TSP, weigh these trade-offs
A withdrawal can affect everything from your tax bill and Medicare premiums to how long your savings last and what your heirs receive.
Sponsor Content
Securing the government mission: Leveraging agentic AI for cybersecurity
AI is transforming government cybersecurity as adversaries accelerate attacks. Discover how agentic defenses are helping agencies fight back faster.
Tech
The feds want private companies to take the fight to cybercriminals
A new program would put vetted companies in a more active role against transnational criminal groups, with DHS and Justice overseeing the operations.
Oversight
State’s overseas housing rules haven’t kept up with the times, GAO says
The agency is still using standards tied to the D.C. housing market of 1991 to determine how much space employees stationed abroad can have.
Workforce
State Department expands push to reclassify employees as at-will workers
An expanded search for more Schedule Policy/Career conversions is still in its early stages, but a department employee says the effort is “moving relatively fast.”
Sponsor Content
The agentic blueprint for the National Labs and DOE complex
Explore how agentic AI is accelerating scientific research while protecting mission critical DOE data.
Tech
Space Command says it needs to ‘shoot, move and communicate’ in orbit
Gen. Stephen Whiting, the outgoing commander of U.S. Space Command, used his final speech at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Ala., to outline the capabilities he says the military needs to keep pace with China.
FEATURED INSIGHTS
Management
Federal agencies are looking beyond the usual sources for new ideas
NIH is offering $1 million for practical ideas that could help long-acting HIV prevention and treatment reach more people, and applicants do not need a traditional research background to participate.
Tech
VA’s benefits system overhaul is running into some familiar problems
An audit found gaps in planning, cost estimates and oversight that could put the modernization effort further behind schedule.
Management
NTEU sets deadline for its members to resume paying dues
The union’s deadline comes as the Trump administration has stripped collective bargaining rights from roughly two-thirds of NTEU members and disrupted its primary source of revenue.
TSP TICKER
FUND
G
F
C
S
I
AUG 13 CLOSE
$20.1259
$20.9184
$125.6188
$120.7421
$66.2866
DAILY CHANGE
0.0027
0.0661
0.8154
0.5933
0.3704
THIS MONTH (%)
0.17
0.74
4.16
5.93
3.55
FUND
L 2070
L 2060
L 2050
L 2040
L 2030
L INCOME
AUG 13 CLOSE
$14.8578
$25.0724
$47.4934
$76.4964
$64.1621
$31.1626
DAILY CHANGE
0.0882
0.1486
0.2431
0.3468
0.2228
0.0605
THIS MONTH (%)
4.14
4.14
3.48
3.08
2.36
1.32
FUND
AUG 13
CLOSE
CLOSE
DAILY
CHANGE
CHANGE
THIS
MONTH
MONTH
G
$20.1259
0.0027
0.17
F
$20.9184
0.0661
0.74
C
$125.6188
0.8154
4.16
S
$120.7421
0.5933
5.93
I
$66.2866
0.3704
3.55
L 2070
$14.8578
0.0882
4.14
L 2060
$25.0724
0.1486
4.14
L 2050
$47.4934
0.2431
3.48
L 2040
$76.4964
0.3468
3.08
L 2030
$64.1621
0.2228
2.36
L INCOME
$31.1626
0.0605
1.32
Workforce
IRS says a new policy ‘moots’ NTEU’s First Amendment lawsuit. The union isn’t so sure
A new policy allows only “agency-sponsored materials” to be posted on communal office bulletin boards, but agency officials still say they have discretion to approve or deny other documents.
Workforce
‘We’re still in hell’: A year later, CDC employees remain shaken by headquarters shooting — and angry at agency leaders’ response
The agency is also contending with deep workforce cuts and leadership changes as a new director prepares to take over.
Defense
How Congress is reshaping the administration's FY27 defense budget
Lawmakers are backing the White House’s spending ambitions in some areas while pushing back on how the Pentagon would spend the money.
Management
Todd Blanche is officially the nation’s top law enforcement official
Trump’s former personal attorney takes over the Justice Department after a contentious Senate confirmation vote.
Oversight
Project 2025 contributor nominated for government watchdog position
While the president recently nominated Dennis Kirk to serve as inspector general at the Interior Department, he’s reportedly already working in that office as a political appointee.
Management
USPS seeks funding from Congress to address long-term financial issues
Postal officials warn that the agency may need to lower service standards and close "unprofitable" post offices if it doesn't get funding from Congress.
Tech
The government was ready to expand its voting security work. Then it pulled the plug
Mojave Research executives say the company was gearing up for a broader federal effort when pressure over its findings helped bring the work to an abrupt end.
Management
Senate clears spending measure, leaves other major bills unfinished
The chamber’s final hours before the August recess included votes on Russia sanctions and an attorney general nominee, but several high-profile measures were left unresolved.
Oversight
Key oversight and federal workforce nominees confirmed by Senate
Several of the individuals will lead agencies that have been downsized or otherwise weakened by the Trump administration.
Workforce
Judge rejects VA’s third attempt to cancel union contracts
U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose OK'd a motion to enforce her prior preliminary injunction preserving collective bargaining at the Veterans Affairs Department on the eve of its planned termination of a collective bargaining agreement with AFGE.
Tech
A crucial cybersecurity system is getting a closer look from Congress
A proposal to formalize the vulnerability tracking program could strengthen its foundation, but officials warn against rules that could limit its ability to adapt.
Tech
The government's AI guardrails are taking shape behind closed doors
A new process could influence how advanced AI is developed and used, even as many of its details remain confidential.
